New York State Cuts 2017 Renewable Energy Target by 94%

The big dirty little secret about renewable energy is that it is very expensive. Pointing to the “extraordinarily poor value” of return BY THE EPA’S OWN STANDARD in carbon footprint reduction, the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity earlier this year called on the State of Rhode Island to significantly roll back renewable energy mandates.

Fast forward to last week. The Empire Center for Public Policy’s Kenneth Girardin alertly spotted that the State of New York has done almost exactly that for 2017.

The state Public Service Commission has quietly reduced the amount of renewable energy that utilities will have to purchase next year by 94 percent, according to PSC documents.

Kudos to New York for quietly modifying their mandate to conform with reality, even if it’s just for one year. For the sake of their already over-burdened ratepayers who have no obligation to fund pointless, feel-good, very expensive energy sources, Rhode Island and all other states need to follow suit, and not just for one year.

The top states that rank as business friendly have some things in common. Low energy costs, an educated workforce, and a lower than average union workforce. Little wonder that RI is almost dead last. Terminating renewable energy subsidies is the first step towards recovery….

Guest

Monique Chartier you wrote; “Kudos to New York for quietly modifying their mandate to conform with reality, even if it’s just for one year. For the sake of their already over-burdened ratepayers who have no obligation to fund pointless, feel-good, very expensive energy sources, Rhode Island and all other states need to follow suit, and not just for one year.”

The State of Hawaii has no natural resources to power electric power plants except on one island that has active minimal geo-thermal activity. On all the rest of the islands expensive imported oil and imported natural gas (LNG) must be used. Making Hawaii the most imported oil dependent
state in the nation with the highest average monthly electric rates in the
nation. According to the US Energy Information Administration Hawaii is
currently at 27.84 cents/kWh and that is with approximately 40% electric power generated by alternate renewable energy. As each alternate energy system came on line meant less imported oil and a decrease in electric rates which used to be in the 36 cents range. State of Hawaii does not use expensive offshore windfarm power as it is too expensive. State of Hawaii has an energy goal of going completely renewable energy eliminating 70% imported oil by year 2045 and having all power generated by alternate energy and remaining 30% imported oil is used for transportation. Publicly traded for profit Hawaii Electric Industries parent company to Hawaiian Electric Company, Maui Electric Company and Hawaiian Light and Power Company has indicated to Hawaii Public Utilities Commission it plans to reach on all islands 100% alternate renewable energy goals 5-years earlier
than State of Hawaii benchmarks meaning it will reach 100% renewable energy by year 2040 You want Hawaii to stop now and follow New
York lead going back to old ways would be stupid and costly to Hawaii
ratepayers.

Hawaii is being used by the Department of Energy as a real-time
test alternate energy laboratory and is currently in second year of a two year test program with multi-national assembly of American and foreign scientists and engineers to determine how much fluctuating alternate energy can be allowed onto a legacy electric grid before shut down in protective mode. Nowhere in the world has this test been performed before so anyone who claims they can run an island legacy electric grid built for constant diesel generator (baseline) power by fluctuating offshore wind turbines and photovoltaic panels is blowing smoke in your face and calling it clean air. Deepwater Wind is sending power directly to RI mainland to be mixed and stabilized in main trunk power and then back via so called backup cable.

New York did a smart move because Deepwater Wind has been
making suggestions to Long Island Power and New York in general to setup a purchase price agreement for an offshore wind farm.

Rhode Island in all its collective wisdom on Smith Hill sold the state ratepayers down the river and has become the national poster child as not what to do with alternate energy and politics and in all its wisdom allowed the two companies Deepwater Wind (never built a wind farm or connected two electric wires) and National Grid (United Kingdom Company raising rates due to offshore windfarms) to set the purchase price agreement rates for the ratepayers! Talk about letting the fox guard the henhouse!!! First year in operation 24.4 cents/kWh and every year thereafter a 3.5% COLA kicks in raising the rates to an unbelievable 46.9 cents/kWh after 20 years with a median 34.5 cents/kWh across the 20 years of the project. THANK YOU RHODE ISLAND; HAWAII WILL NO LONGER HAVE HIGHEST ELECTRIC RATES IN NATION.

The Providence Journal articles have been advertising local
ratepayers will only see about $1.30 increase in electric rates per month. That may be true for the local residential ratepayers but the full truth is not
being told. National Grid paid for a study of the costs to State of RI and 38
Cities and Towns of the rate increases (Block Island is exempt because it gets its so called power from wind farm). It was determined collectively state and municipalities cost would be about $250,000 in first year due to rate increases. Channel 12 published what each city and town would pay plus state based on electric usage. That means first year state of RI and 38 cities and towns would have to raise taxes to make up difference (that is more than suggested $1.30 increase). Every year thereafter the $250,000 would increase 3.5% for next 20 years to over $7,000,000. According to Deepwater Wind website, the power meters are now turning December 2016 as the Block Island offshore windfarm has been activated.

RI businesses, restaurants, bar, shops, stores, movies, grocery stores, gasoline stations, rental properties will raise price of goods and services. People will demand higher wages to offset cost of living in RI. The $1.30 per month residential rate will tick up 3.5% each and every year for 20 years plus tied with higher taxes both state and municipality and business
cost of living.

US Energy Information Administration lists RI at 20.49 cents/kWh for electric highest in New England and New York at 18.38/kWh highest
in Mid-Atlantic states.